Linguistics Summary
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Lesson: Corpus Linguistics
1. Computational Linguistics (Corpus Linguistics) is a branch of linguistics that focuses on
studying language through the analysis of large collections of written or spoken texts, known as a
“corpus.” A corpus is a linguistic database that includes a wide range of texts such as books,
articles, conversations, and more.
Explanation of Corpus Linguistics:
1. Definition of a Corpus:
A corpus is a collection of texts gathered for the purpose of studying language in a practical way.
These texts can be either written or audio recordings that are transcribed.
2. Objectives of Corpus Linguistics:
• Analyzing patterns of word and structure usage.
• Studying language evolution over time.
• Assisting in the development of dictionaries and grammar.
• Supporting computational applications such as machine translation and text processing.
3. Corpus Tools:
This field relies on computational tools and software to analyze texts. These tools allow:
• Counting word and phrase frequencies.
• Extracting syntactic and semantic patterns.
• Analyzing the context in which words are used.
4. Types of Corpus:
• General Corpus: Includes diverse texts that represent language comprehensively.
• Specialized Corpus: Focuses on a specific field, such as legal or medical texts.
• Historical Corpus: Used to study the evolution of language over time.
5. Practical Examples:
• Analyzing how a specific word is used in different contexts.
• Comparing linguistic patterns across languages or dialects.
• Enhancing machine translation programs using real-world data.
Benefits of Corpus Linguistics:
• Provides a more accurate understanding of language usage in reality.
• Supports linguistic and theoretical studies.
• Contributes to practical applications such as language teaching and the development of AI
tools.
Summary:
Corpus Linguistics is a modern field that combines linguistic analysis with computational
techniques to study language as it is used in everyday life. It serves as a powerful tool for
understanding language and advancing its applications.
2.1. Introduction
This part talks about collections of texts (called corpora) that are used in English teaching and
specific areas like business or science English (ESP). It explains how these collections are
created and their purpose. It also discusses how studying these texts helps teachers use language
examples in class. For example, it compares texts used in general English to those in specific
fields.
2.2. Registers and Genres
Register and genre are ways to look at different types of writing or speaking.
• Genre is about the type of text (like a novel, email, or recipe) and how it fits into culture.
• Register focuses on the language style used in specific situations (formal vs. informal). For
instance, you speak differently with friends than in a job interview. These concepts help explain
why texts vary based on their purpose and audience.
2.3 Investigating Lexis in Specific Corpora
• Lexis means the vocabulary of a language, including words, phrases, and idioms. It also looks
at how these words are used and combined in spoken or written texts.
• Lexicon is a collection of words, like a dictionary, especially for specific professions, subjects,
or styles.
• Lexicology is the study of lexis and lexicon.
• In corpus linguistics (the study of language using large collections of texts), understanding the
connection between a corpus (a collection of texts) and lexis is essential.
2.3.1 Legal English:
• Legal English is a special type of English used in legal documents and discussions.
• It has its own vocabulary, grammar, and patterns, making it different from regular English.
• People often call it “legalese” because it can be hard for non-lawyers to understand.
2.3.2 COLE (Corpus of Legal English):
• COLE is a collection of legal texts (a “corpus”) used to study Legal English.
• It is smaller than other large corpora like the BNC (British National Corpus) or COCA (Corpus
of Contemporary American English).
• Even though it’s small, COLE focuses on diversity and consistency in the texts it includes,
covering different legal topics and ensuring quality over size.